Characters part 17

Street Fighter IV Characters

We regret to inform you that, at present, Vega is considered possibly the worst character in Street Fighter IV. Maybe second worst. But really, it doesn't mean that he's terrible, for he's actually got some very good tools. His main problems are that 1) he takes a lot of damage, 2) he doesn't deal a lot of damage, and 3) his ultra and super combos are pretty shoddy.

What Vega does have in his favor is an arsenal of solid pokes. His c.MP has outstanding range and speed. His s.HP has even better range, though it's slower so it won't be as frequently used. Either attack is great for punishing opponents whose blocked attacks leave them with a space cushion that makes them normally difficult to counter (e.g. Blanka's Rolling Attack, or Cammy's Cannon Spike). And c.MP can even be canceled into Vega's specials—use Rolling Crystal Flash ( charge + P ) as a follow-up poke, or use an EX Barcelona Attack ( charge + KK ) for a flashy combo.

Vega's s.HK is an excellent anti-air attack. It's got great horizontal range and beats out a lot of incoming jump-ins because it can hit the opponent so early—just kick as soon as the opponent jumps if you're near enough. Try to keep the opponent at a range just where Vega's c.MP connects and his s.HK rules as an anti-air. If you're aggressive with your poking, it can be hard for a lot of opponents to break through. His Piece of Mercury ( + MK ) has slightly more range than a c.MP and looks a lot like an overhead, but it's not. This is baffling.

As we mentioned earlier, Vega's super combo is shoddy. We might go further and say it sucks. but thankfully you shouldn't have the chance to use it often as Vega's EX attacks can be quite good. His EX Barcelona Attack hits on the way up, which means you can use it in combos as demonstrated below. His EX Sky High Claw lets Vega pass through incoming projectiles, making it a solid counter to opponents who endlessly smother you with fireballs.

Similarly, Vega's ultra, while a bit daft and uncomboable, is also a good counter for fireballs. It'll pass through projectiles and does pretty decent damage, but it's pretty unsafe if blocked so be sure about it. Generally, though, you'll need to rely on the aforementioned pokes and catching opponents as they try to break through your stationary offense. And if the opponent turtles up, go for overheads. You can use Vega's j.HP from a reverse jump as an instant overhead against taller characters (notably Sagat).

Combos

MP + MK + HK charge + KK

Vega's not much of a combo character but can still dazzle audiences with this number. It's even pretty effective. As Vega, use lots of Focus Attacks to move your offense forward. When one lands, you can quickly launch a Cosmic Heel ( + HK ) and use the input to begin charging the Barcelona Attack, which in EX form will juggle the opponent.

c.MP xxcharge + KK

This is very similar to the combo listed above, though less impressive. It's still pretty useful, though, as c.MP will be a big part of your offense. Throw out the c.MP as a poke and, if it lands, you can easily combo into an EX Barcelona Attack for decent damage.

j.HK c.MK xxcharge + HK

This is just a simple combo from a j.HK jump-in. It causes a knockdown which lets you then move into Vega's mix-up game, described below for his Cosmic Heel move. Also note that you can use a LK Scarlet Terror ( charge + LK ) kick instead of the HK and then juggle with an EX Scarlet Terror afterwards.

Moves List

Piece of Mercury

+ MK

NORMAL

Not an overhead attack, despite looking like one. It's still got more range than Vega's c.MP poke and will let you move a bit closer to the opponent so you can go back to poking with quicker attacks. It's safer than sliding after the opponent with c.HK.

Cosmic Heel

+ HK

NORMAL

Not only is this kick good for combos (as evidenced above), but it's also good for setting up a mix-up game with Vega. Knock down an opponent and you can use the Cosmic Heel to hop over his/her downed body. Time it right (just as the opponent gets up) and you can bait a lot whiffed counters, or go for a meaty c.MK to mix up the opponent's guard and land a quick combo.

Back Slash

PPP or KKK

NORMAL

These reverse flips are good for passing through fireballs. The KKK flip is quicker, so it's good when you're closer to the opponent, but the PPP flip is less likely to get hit at the tail end by a slow fireball if the opponent starts to get tricky with the timing.

Rolling Crystal Flash

charge + P

SPECIAL

A good pressure move that does solid chip damage, as well. Do a lot of c.MP poking and cancel into a LP Rolling Crystal Flash to extend your poke and occasionally catch opponents that try to break out of your poke range. It can also be used for some free chip damage as a meaty attack (use the HP version), though against opponents with strong wake-up counters (like a shoto Shoryuken) you're flirting with danger.

Scarlet Terror

charge + K

SPECIAL

A good anti-air, since you'll likely be charging most of the time anyway. If a LK Scarlet Terror hits, you can follow up and juggle with an EX version.

Sky High Claw

charge + P

SPECIAL

If you must use it, use the HP version as the other two punches leave Vega too high in the air. But generally, you should stay away from the attack except to A) catch opponents after frequently faking Flying Barcelona Attacks, as the Sky High Claw is much faster, or B) use an EX Sky High Claw to pass through and punish projectiles.

Flying Barcelona Attack

charge + K

SPECIAL

To use the Barcelona Attack effectively you'll have to be tricky with it. On the one hand, the attack announces itself pretty early, so opponents can generally react to it and counter you consistently. But you can use this to your advantage. Activate the attack but hold away from the opponent on the controls and you can frequently bait counter attacks that often leave the opponent vulnerable. It's difficult to capitalize on the vulnerability, but it is possible. And then, of course, when the opponent thinks you're not going to do anything with the Barcelona Attack, you can actually go for the gold. The grab is great, and even the claw strike has pretty good priority and causes a knock down.

You can't combo into it, so it's utility is a bit suspect. but the ultra is at least good for punishing fireball throwers. The Bloody High Claw will pass through fireballs, so if you suspect a projectile is about to be thrown you can trigger the attack. It's also effective against jumpers.